Travel reviews by Ms T from California

"Every positive review that has been written about Dulini is not only accurate, but in so many ways is understated. One simply can't capture or truly describe in words the intangible elements that the staff (your family while you are there) provide. In terms of value for the dollar, it is unequaled. The accommodations are beautiful...elegant, sophisticated and yet they manage to capture the African culture and experience. You have every amenity possible and yet it is not like you are staying at a Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons that can be found anywhere in the world. The ambiance is understated, but elegant and charming. The food is beyond belief, given your location. Coming from San Francisco, a food centric locale, what we enjoyed at Dulini is comparable to the finest restaurants available, not just in San Francisco, but wherever we have traveled throughout the world. Upon return, I visited my local produce market, considered very fine and amongst the best in the San Francisco Bay Area. I looked over the vegetable selections and there was not one item that even remotely compared in quality to what we were served at Dulini.

I am aware that South Africa is not an area that Expert Africa specializes in. However, if you have a client with limited time, say only four days for a safari, send them to Dulini. In four days, we saw everything there is to see!!! For the rest of the trip, we simply sat back, took a few photos, but mostly just observed the behavior and interaction of the animals. We had already seen it all. Sabi Sands is remarkable. Our rangers, Patrick for a day and a half and then and most especially Fred, were truly phenomenal. Their knowledge, passion and commitment was remarkable and provided us with an experience and memories we will never forget. It was not just a class in zoology, but an entire Masters course!!

While at Dulini we were treated to a private bush picnic, just the two of us, that is beyond description. I might add that this was in addition to the candle light dinner served course by course in our room by Maurice, the Butler extraordinaire. We also enjoyed a fabulous private bush walk with Fred.

For your clients coming from the US, we would like to mention that the best thing we did after the long flights, was to change our air flight and go with the Federal Air charter from Joburg to Ulusaba. Forget the South African Air flight from Joburg. It only adds hours and you would arrive at Dulini even more exhausted. You have no time to rest or recoup once you arrive in Africa, as they have you scheduled out immediately for a bush drive. It is definitely worth any small additional charge to go by charter, plus Federal Air has a very comfortable waiting area where you can relax and get something to drink or eat in Joburg. The Ulusaba airstrip is also kind of a fun place to land...Richard Branson has not left anything to chance!! Quite an elegant and spectacular way to begin your visit."

"Zambezi Sun was great for an inexpensive overnight to see Victoria Falls.

Location is terrific...out the back gate and you are standing in front of the falls. It is worth a short stop to see the falls, but you don't need any more than an overnight. Food at the Zambezi Sun was only very ordinary. We tried way ahead to book a reservation at the Royal Livingstone, sister hotel, but they don't respond to email or reservation requests...very frustrating.

We had cocktails on their deck overlooking the Zambezi at sunset...definitely worthwhile!"

"We stayed at three different Wilderness Safari camps, all terrific, but Savuti is the best hands down. Wow, when you arrive and walk in from the arid Mopane landscape and first see the location of the camp on the Savuti channel, it is absolutely jaw droppingly beautiful!!! What a surprise...the food, staff, and tents were spectacular. The fact that the structures have thatched roofs makes them so much more inviting and atmospheric as compared to the all-over canvas tents we experienced in the other camps.

We loved the incredible spaciousness of the tent and magnificent view from our deck. Upon arrival, we were served a private brunch, as the other guests had not yet returned from the morning bush drive. We looked out upon the channel and a group of elephants playing in the water, splashing each other and just having the time of their lives, as were we!!! Any review of Savuti would not be complete without a word or two about Goodman, without question, the finest ranger and guide imaginable. We were so fortunate to share two days with him that we will never forget. His knowledge and genuine passion for Africa, the landscape, the animals and culture, were inspiring and riveting. We will never forget him and everything we shared.

In summary, we have to say that Wilderness Safaris deliver a magnificent overall experience for the price. Even though their classic camps are not cheap, it is a bargain given the quality of the experience that they deliver. The logistics of what they provide are staggering when you think about it and we can't imagine what the premier camps could provide that would warrant the price differential. You can only eat and drink so much fine food and drink in any one day. The staff and accommodations were superb in every respect."

"We had a wonderful stay at Little Vumbura. The setting on the water is lovely, especially from the main lounge and dining areas. The food was superb, especially the bush picnic, complete with beef wellington and omelets cooked to order over the open barbecue grill. The picnic was scheduled on our last day and was held at a specific time that would allow us to enjoy this final event before boarding our plane for the next camp. Steven and Mandy, the camp managers are wonderful and extremely accommodating. Kelly is a delightful and charming hostess with an unforgettable smile. The fact that Vumbura offers both land and water activities is a real plus and is something that we would highly recommend to enrich the overall experience in Africa.

However, given its very positive reviews, we were a bit disappointed in Vumbura, in that the tents there are not as generous space-wise as any of the other camps at which we stayed. The layout inside the tent just isn't the greatest to be frank. The bed is rather cramped in the space provided and there is only one comfortable reading chair that ends up being in the middle of the dressing area right by the shower room and sinks. It just doesn't compare with the layout or space provided at either Savuti or Little Tubu. Also, the shower room is a disaster. The door gets wet when you enter or exit because it passes right under the water stream. Also, the door won't stay closed unless you stuff a wash cloth in the opening. The wind blows through the shower room from the outside with cold air so it is not very inviting. Also, there is really no place to hang wet towels. The clothes storage (even for the minimal amount you bring in your duffel) is also not well designed. My vote would be to replace the Vumbura tents with the same ones that are at Little Tubu.

Although we really had a very delightful overall experience at Vumbura and are torn about stating some negatives, we were extremely disappointed in the ranger/guide Kaye that we were assigned. We came away with the distinct impression that he was not happy in his work. His negativity permeated the bush drives and we did not see the amount of game that other guests whom we had met who had other guides at Vumbura experienced. He demonstrated some unprofessional behavior in calling out to the animals at times with sounds and calls. This behavior was rather startling to say the least. Since your ranger/guide joins you for meals, his attitude made for a less than congenial mealtime experience."

"Little Tubu, our last stop, proved to be somewhat of a surprise. There were some less than glowing reviews on Trip Advisor when it first opened, but what ever problems there might have been are no longer. We weren't expecting terrific game viewing and yet that is what we experienced. Johnny, our guide, was wonderful, and almost met the extraordinarily high standards of our guides at Dulini and Savuti. The lion sightings at Tubu were truly memorable. We also thoroughly enjoyed the bush walk with the elderly bush man who showed us how to make an animal snare and to make fire in a matter of seconds. All of those participants on the TV program, Survivor, should take a few lessons from him!!

As previously stated, the tents at Little Tubu are extremely spacious and comfortable. Both indoor and outdoor showers are delightful. The food and service were amazing. Although a bit separated, the three Little Tubu tents are really not very far from Tubu Tree and its twelve tents. We were not expecting the two camps to be quite so close together, although Little Tubu is definitely run as a separate camp with totally separate dining facilities. The boma dinner the last evening of our trip, held under a magnificent full moon, left us with memories of a lifetime!"